Danny Mac opens up about that bare-chested Strictly routine

Strictly Come Dancing favourite Danny Mac has revealed that he thought he may as well break his no bare chest rule for last weekend's Samba because he already felt embarrassed about the routine's moves.

Former Hollyoaks star Danny and his partner Oti Mabuse scored a second perfect 40 in the competition for the dance, but despite praise from the judges he admitted to being anxious about how the performance would make him look.

Speaking to host Zoe Ball on tonight's episode of spin-off show Strictly - It Takes Two, he said of his open-shirted costume: "It was a combined decision with us and wardrobe.

The Samba scored top marks (BBC)

"I said, 'I don't want to do it, I don't feel comfortable' and I still would never have done it if it didn't feel right.

"This dance needed to be 100% lose your inhibitions and I tried other costumes and they didn't work, so we just went for it - I already felt so awkward with the hip action so I just thought why not."

On Saturday night's live show, the judges heaped praise on Danny and Oti as the first couple in the programme's history ever to have got top marks for a Samba.

Danny, 28, said that it had taken long hours in the training room.

He said: "The Thursday before, we did 13 hours which was our longest day ever and the day before that 11 - there was nothing less than nine hours a day last week.

"It takes a lot of time for me to pick it up and Oti is so good at teaching, and the pay off is so great, it's so worth it, I'm never going to get that chance again."

Danny's chest has been a hit with viewers (BBC)

Oti said that watching the dance afterwards brought her to tears: "I cry every time I watch it back because it was so emotional for both of us."

She added that she felt just as emotional about this weekend's Tango routine: "We danced it and I was almost crying, I was like, 'Danny, you don't understand how good you are, you don't understand the stuff you're delivering'."